Tuesday, September 30, 2014

COUNTDOWN TO CRISISA serial killer strikes every twelve hours. A
vampire takes lives at random. At first glance, these tragic incidents seem
unrelated. But Special Investigations Unit agents Sam Ryan and Gabriel Stern
trace them both back to a military base known as Hopeworth. Is the murder spree
part of a cover-up? And are the vampire killings less by chance and more
methodical?The investigation takes an eerie, personal turn
when Sam discovers a connection between herself and the victims—and a clue to
her own mysterious origins. With the violence escalating and the danger drawing
closer to home, the stakes are raised and the mission changes from seeking
justice to ensuring Sam and Gabriel’s own survival. And the one person who
seems to hold all the answers—about Hopeworth, about Sam’s past—is a mystery
man she isn’t sure she can trust. They share a psychic link through her dreams,
and he once saved her life, but he may just be the greatest enemy humankind has
ever known.

Review:

Sam’s career change decision in the last book has seemed to
back fire on her. Gabriel still won’t consider her as his partner and gives her
menial desk and research work to do instead of cases. That is until a series of
strange murders begins to occur within several days of each other. Gabriel and
Sam know there is a connection to the murder victims, and have to dive deeply
in the past of Hopeworth and its genetic manipulations. Sam’s blurred past also
begins to reveal itself when she starts having strange dreams of a man named Joshua.
Sam’s origins are about to land her in hot water with both Hopeworth and her
current case. The icing on the cake is Gabriel’s continuation of ignoring his
feelings for Sam. He cannot lose her to the fate of his last partners and he
won’t put his heart on the line to be broken again.

As a scientist in real life, I LOVE the basis of this story.
Genetic manipulations may seem futuristic to us here in 2014, but in Sam’s day
and age, wouldn’t be so risqué. I loved that the truth of her origins are being
pieced together slowly in each other. It creates such suspenseful need to find
out the truth and makes you anxious for the next book. Sam’s character is
always changing and evolving as we discover what she is and what she can do.
Gabriel on the other hand remains stagnant in his unwavering decision to not me
involved with Sam on a more personal level. It’s frustrated at times to the
point I’ve found I’ve damn near wanted to through my Nook and stomp away angry
like Sam does. Considering the whole novel, Generation is a great read. It will
keep you on the edge of your seat as you read and will never make you lose
focus on the story. My only complaint is that Gabriel needs to get the giant
stick out of his ass and make a move before Sam’s gone forever. Bring on the
final book in the Spook Squad trilogy, Prenumbra.

Monday, September 29, 2014

One night, New York FBI agent Aiden Mahoney receives a visitor in a dream—an old friend named Richard Highsmith. The very next day he’s sent to Sleepy Hollow because Richard’s gone missing there.

Maureen—Mo—Deauville now lives in the historic town and works with her dog, Rollo, to search for missing people. She’s actually the one to find Richard…or more precisely his head, stuck on a statue of the legendary Headless Horseman.

Mo and Aiden, a new member of the Krewe of Hunters, the FBI’s unit of paranormal investigators, explore both past and present events to figure out who betrayed Richard, who killed him and now wants to kill them, too. As they work together, they discover that they share an unusual trait—the ability to communicate with the dead. They also share an attraction that’s as intense as it is unexpected…if they live long enough to enjoy it!

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Purchase Links

Aiden dreams about a past acquaintance. Richard Highsmith.
He finds that his old friend has gone missing in none other than Sleepy Hollow,
the land of witches and the headless horsemen. While searching for his friends,
he meets Mo.
Mo with the help of her search and rescue dog find Richard’s body. Mo and Aiden
must team up to find his killer because they’ve just painted a target on their
backs for being the killers next victims. If being stalked by a murderous madman,
Mo and Aiden must contend with a blossoming romance between them.

Graham does it again! I loved The Hexed because of its
history rich story line! The Betrayed is just as good as Sleepy Hollow becomes
our setting. Sleepy Hollow has such a rich paranormal identity in the modern
world. Its addition as the location of our story only adds to the mystery. I
also love that Aiden and Mo themselves become target victims. Usually when you
have a crime novel, you miss out on some of the romance that I tend to love
more than the mystery itself. Yet in The Betrayed, the mystery and romance are
balanced beautifully. The Betrayed is a dark and misty thrill ride through
Sleep Hollow. I can’t wait to see what’s next for our Krewe of Hunters.

About Heather Graham

New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author Heather Graham has written more than a hundred novels and has been published in more than 20 languages. An avid scuba diver, ballroom dancer and the mother of five, she enjoys her south Florida home, but loves to travel as well, from locations such as Cairo, Egypt, to her own backyard, the Florida Keys. Reading is still the pastime she still loves best, and she is a member of many writing groups. She’s a winner of the Romance Writers of America’s Lifetime Achievement Award, and theThriller Writers’ Silver Bullet. She is an active member of International Thriller Writers and Mystery Writers of America, and also the founder of The Slush Pile Players, an author band and theatrical group.

Heather annually hosts the Writers for New Orleans conference to benefit both the city, which is near and dear to her heart, and various other causes, and she hosts a ball each year at the RT Booklovers Convention to benefit pediatric AIDS foundations.

College senior Slade Bennet is so close to his degree he can
taste it…until his sister becomes tangled with a coven of demons and he must
trade his soul to save her. But first he must kill the assigned target: a
sexually charged beauty who ignites his protective instinct.

After the devastating loss of her Companion, the last thing
Halena Girard can stomach is the emotional connection to a Mate. She lives for
only two things: vanquishing demons, and seeking Artifacts rumored to lead to
Lucifer’s downfall. That is, until she’s attacked by a…frat boy? Worse, a
newly-demonic frat boy wearing the mark of her Mate.

Halena would rather kill Slade than give him her heart.
Unfortunately, the only way Slade can find his sister and Halena the Artifacts
is to work together. As they face the darkest of evil, Slade’s ability to crush
Halena’s carefully erected walls might prove to be the most lethal battle of
all.

Originally from Minnesota, Reese Monroe currently enjoys
living in the sunny Arizona desert with her husband of seventeen years and her
loveable Shetland Sheep dog, Maddux. Monroe holds a degree in psychology from
Southwest Minnesota State University and a master's degree from the University
of Iowa. When she’s not busy writing her next trilogy, she can be found
pounding the pavement, training for her next endurance event.

Connect with Reese on Twitter (@Rush_Monroe), through
Facebook (Facebook.com/LynnRushWrites) or her website ReeseMonroe.net.

Guest Post:

I’m kind of a seat of the pants writer, so I could wake up
one morning with an idea to write about. If I have time that day, I could sit
down and write about ten thousand words. So, for rituals, I don’t have many.

But I might have a couple….

à Clean Desk. Yeah, it’s weird, but if my desk is
cluttery, my brain feels cluttery, so I have to clean it up. Once I do, man, it
feels like the words can flow like a raging river.

à Music. Yep, this is a must. I usually have a couple
songs that are rocking my world. It could be the sound of the tunes or the
words. Whatever it is, I’ll have a few songs going on repeat. CLICK
HERE for the Claimed by Light list.

à Drinks. Oh, my favorite drink in the world is the
vanilla chai latte. If I had my way, I’d have them every single day. But
there’s so much sugar in them, so I try to limit myself to one a week. At least
I TRY to. A not so sugary substitute
is Iced Tea with a hint of Raspberry Lemonade Crystal Light in it. I could sip
on that for hours while writing.

à Sweet Maddux: My dog. Having him nearby is like a
security blanket. Though, he sometimes get startled with I talk to my computer
screen…

So, what kind of rituals do you have? Whether it’s for
reading, writing, exercise…Do tell!

Sunday, September 28, 2014

Sabine Harper’s night started out badly—a dead
man jumped out of his grave, she was chased by a vampire, and now she has an
uninvited guest. The worst part? A guy who may or may not be entirely dead is
looking ten times better than any living man she’s ever dated.

Willem Breaux has only three days to avenge his
murder, but upon awakening more than a century into the future, he discovers
that he needs Sabine’s help more than he could have imagined. And in the end,
he’ll need her love more than anything else.

Can Willem and Sabine find love—and a little
laughter—in spite of time, death, and an evil that’s waited a century to make
its move?

What first caught my eye about this book was obviously the
cover. Its gorgeous! While a novella, the world building isn’t exactly through,
but you do get a good sense of the world and the characters. Sabine goes to the
cemetery to make sure her pseudo witch cousin doesn’t get into any trouble.
What she doesn’t realize is that she’s about to meet a whole new form of
trouble when someone rises from the grave. Richard isn’t exactly a zombie. He’s
been sent back from the dead by The Fates many times over the years to enact
justice to the person who murdered him. No one messes with The Fates lifeline
and they’ll have their revenge through Richard. What he didn’t expect to find
this time around was that the woman he sees as soon as he’s risen is a dead
ringer for his murderess fiancé.

While not a huge fan of novellas, I will say I was
pleasantly surprised as the story progressed. Carsen has managed to still get
readers emotionally involved in the story with such a short book. The story itself
is engaging as well as entertaining. If you’re short on time and want read
something to relax, I’d suggest Not Quite Dead.

Saturday, September 27, 2014

Publication Date: September 15, 2014
Series and Book Number: Driven Series #4
Rating: 5 stars

Official Blurb:

Colton Donavan lived
life in the fast lane, but it took Rylee Thomas to teach him what racing was
all about.

Arrogant

Rogue

Broken

Conceited

Dirty-Talking

Rebel

Egomaniacal

Voodooed

Bent

Reckless

You think you know me?

Think again.

I was so excited when I heard K. Bromberg was
putting out a book in Colton’s POV. I loved all whole Driven Series but I also
wanted a taste of Colton. This book was so good. I liked how the author
combined his one book with points from all 3 books and how she described the
scenes at the beginning of the chapter and from which book it was from. Reading
Raced in Colton’s POV really made me love Colton even more than I already did.
We got to see how Colton struggled for his feelings for Rylee right from the beginning.
I love how he always told himself he would say one thing and then when he was
talking to Rylee it was always something completely opposite from what he
planned. Sometimes I wanted to slap Colton and tell him to wake up and look at
what was right in front of him. But after reading the other 3 books, I now
understand why Colton was the way he was. I loved watching Colton fall in love
with Rylee not even realizing she stole his heart. The wedding scene was
beautiful and I loved every minute of this book!

Friday, September 26, 2014

The only people I love don’t know the secrets I hold. They wouldn’t want me anymore if they did.

Casen Thompson refuses to acknowledge the world that left him behind...

I may be tattered, but I’m not torn.

I’m trusted by many, but I have faith in very few.

My love for music and the desire for the family I never had is the glue that holds my shattered soul together.

When these two volatile personalities collide, a firestorm of emotions erupts forcing both to face the fears that keep them from everything they have ever wanted. Secrets are unearthed and forgiveness is tested as Jen struggles to accept that Casen might be everything that could fix her.

Will Jen trust herself enough to truly lead Casen into a temptation that he can’t walk away from?

Lead Him Not into Temptation is an adult contemporary novel and is not intended for younger readers due to mature content.

How you could not fall in love with his book and characters?
This is brilliantly written! Let me tell you what, there’s a scene towards the
end that will make you so mad that you think “OMG WHY M.L. WHYYYYY?”

But, don’t fret. She has a reason for everything in her
marvelously well plotted novel. You’ll soon be bawling your eyes out just as I
did at the final scene. M.L.’s character development and plot lines are bar
none the best I’ve read so far this year. That’s saying something for someone
who has to date read at least 150+ books this year. Jennifer is just such a
dynamic, tragic filled past character. She rises like a phoenix from the dark
ashes of her past and succeeds in her goals in life. She’s guarded when it
comes to men, but Casen breaks her string of one night stands in a single
weekend. She knows that he’s different. They both have dark pasts that make
them deserve to find a deep and true kind of love.

This book masterfully plays on the readers emotions like so
few books I’ve ever read have done before. This book is a must read now my
friends. Put down whatever book you’re reading now, and start this one. You are
in for the ride of a lifetime.

Colorado native M.L. Steinbrunn is new to the professional literary community, but has been in love with the world of fictional characters and plot twists since she was a child. Writing short stories and reading anything she could get her hands on, it could be argued that her hobby borders on an obsession.

She works full-time as a middle school and high school educator and coach in rural Colorado where she and her husband are raising their three young children. Through education she has enjoyed guiding others on their paths and helping students build their stories. After countless evenings of discussing story ideas, it was her husband who encouraged her to follow her own path and publish her first novel.

She recently published her debut romance novel Forgive Us Our Trespasses, which was released in March of 2014. It is the first in a series of intertwined stand-alone novels. Book two, Lead Him Not Into Temptation will be released in August of 2014.

In her free time M.L. enjoys travelling, Amazon one-clicking, watching movies, chauffeuring her children to their one and half million activities, and people watching.

She would like to add a big thank you to everyone that has been overwhelmingly supportive of this incredibly scary yet exciting journey.

Abandoned by her birth parents and ignored by her adoptive family, Maddy Page believes she is unlovable. She only allows herself to dream of falling in love. That changes when she meets MJ; handsome and kind, MJ penetrates Maddy's defenses. Maddy soon finds herself confiding in MJ like she has with no one else, revealing secrets even her closest friends don't know. He makes her feel safe--a feeling she's never experienced except in her dreams.
When Maddy witnesses MJ disappear and reappear in thin air, she realizes she might have been wrong about him. He could be dangerous--maybe even a killer. Determined to uncover the truth of who--or what--MJ is, Maddy ignores her instinct to run. But she soon realizes that getting close to MJ could cost more than a broken heart--it could cost Maddy her soul.

Unclaimed tells the thrilling story of Maddy
and the mystery that surrounds her life. Once an enthralling, popular girl in
school, she returns home from her usual summer with her Uncle very much
changed. She’s a shell of the girl she used to be. She’s shell shocked by the
news her Uncle gives her and pushes away everything and everyone in her life.
She doesn’t know how to love or what it even feels like. She’s so different
from everyone else. Her uniqueness comes from within her and she quickly discovers
she shouldn’t even be alive at all.

Maddy’s life is suddenly thrust into a tail
spin when two mysterious men try to move into her path in life. She realizes
that maybe she isn’t as crazy as she once thought as these men began to feel
things that they’ve never felt before when she touches them. They know she’s
special, but when push comes to shove neither of them are supposed to be even
remotely close to her. It will derail one of their missions while complicating
the other guys’ intentions.

MJ is one of those mysterious new men in her
life. He’s cold and calculated at first. He’s assigned to protect another girl,
but mistakes Maddy for her. Once he touches her, he knows that something is
amiss in Maddy and he struggles within himself to follow through with protocol.
What he finds in his searches is absolutely nothing. In order to know what she
really is, he will have to get closer to her. The closer they get, the harder
they fall, and soon MJ is in WAY over his head.

One of the best things about this book is
Wetzel’s ability to keep the reader guessing. The premise itself is so
interesting and unique on its own, but adds in surprising twists and turns, and
you have a thrilling read. There’s so
much about Maddy’s life that’s left to be revealed as the story continues into
the next book. The characters embark on a journey shrouded in complete
darkness. What’s a girl to do when both Heaven and Hell are hot on her trail
and she’s completely clueless as to why? The next book can’t come fast enough!

Teasers

Excerpts

All I want now is to be near her—but that could be the very thing that kills her.
“If you care for her, you’ll leave this house and never see her again. If she dies and she’s unknown to Heaven, that’s it. This otherworldly girl will either be sentenced to Hell or
cease to exist. Can you face eternity knowing you brought that fate to her?”
All the air rushes out of my body as the weight of her life once again rests on my soul. I turn back to her, memorizing as much as I can about her—the way her soft arms wrap
around her torso, the color of her eyes that match the emerald gemstone still in my pocket, and soft pink lips I never got to touch.
Goodbye, my Maddy. I stand and find the strength to walk out the door and leave the best thing that has ever happened to me.

Author bio

Laurie Wetzel has always had a passion for writing, but it wasn’t until a New Years Resolution in 2011 that she finally shared her lifelong dream of being an author with her husband. He read the very first draft of Unclaimed and gave her the words she needed to hear, “This is what you need to be doing.” Three years later the first book in the Unclaimed series was published with the second book expected to be out in 2015. Laurie lives in Mankato, MN, with her husband and two young sons. When she’s not writing, working, or spending time with her family, she’s either reading, running, or catching up on her favorite shows on Netflix. For updates on the Unclaimed series as well as other works in progress, feel free to check her out online!

Thursday, September 25, 2014

It started with a game, a very different computer game, and a
desire to know a life so intriguing and different from my own. I had just
started to venture out with my own work at my father’s private investigating
firm when our paths crossed on purpose. My purpose. I never expected things to
go the way they did. I never expected him to be so nice and handsome. I
couldn’t be number four. How could any woman love a man with more than one
wife? Not only was it impossible, it was ridiculous. There was no way I was
getting any closer. I was going to get in, dig around a little, and get out.
That’s it. Does anything ever turn out the way we plan? Becker Cole’s wives
were not the typical, obedient little housewives wearing aprons and submitting
to him I had pegged them to be. They were cute, young and full of life. I loved
them. All three of them. And somehow, I loved Becker too. Could I swallow the
persona that society expected me to be and share him, or was this too much? Was
I ready to be a part of this world? And if I wasn’t… could I just walk away?

Let me say I was one of the lucky ones who got to
read this book first. I have always been a fan of Jettie's books. That woman
knows how to write a good book. I read this book in chapters at a time and
believe me it was very hard to continue reading other books because my mind would
always go straight back to Picked. Once I received the ending, I could finally
breathe! I really enjoyed this book from beginning to end it keeps you guessing
how things will play out. The main characters Cass and Becker will steal your
hearts from the first page. I try not to write reviews with spoilers but please
add this book to you TBR!! But believe me you will meet some interesting people
in this book and I was always trying to figure out who was in on what or how
will this love story end for Cass and Becker. Even though I loved Cass's
character very much, Becker stole my heart. There were many times I wanted to
scream to the top of my lungs at Becker to get his act together. But just keep
reading until the very end and all things come together. This book has so many
twists and turns and things I never seen coming. Love triangle doesn’t even
come close to describing some parts of this book. The journey of Cass and
Becker is crazy, wild, thrilling, scary, and happy!! You will have so many
emotions in this book waiting to get all the answers to questions.This will be
a book I read again and also buy in paperback it's that good. I can't wait for
everyone else to read this .. So add it to your TBR NOW!!!!!

Love is a war in which only the fearless may conquer. The loss of love is a test in survival.

Love. It’s such an understated word. It has the ability to grip you so hard you become completely consumed by it, and when it releases you, you find yourself on your knees. Lilly Parker has me on my knees and I cannot muster the will to stand.

Betrayal. It’s all the worse when it comes from those we love. The pain, that much more intense. The loss, that much more heart breaking. I took a chance on Theodore Ellis and I lost.

How hard is Theo willing to fight for the woman he loves? Can Lilly fight her demons, or will she push away the only man capable of facing them with her?

Conquered is the emotional, gritty second part of Lilly and Theo's story.

What would you do if you
were granted millions of pounds and a face that melts the underwear off
of any woman? Meet Theodore Ellis, the business man who parties like a
rock star, and has more women than he has room on his bed post to put
the notches.

Meet Lilly Parker. With a difficult past; Lilly is
cold, closed off and emotionally unavailable in every way. Don't go
thinking she's the sweet and innocent victim though, she plays the game
better than most men, and is the original use and abuse woman.

She's
built her walls ten feet high and topped with razor wire, but Theo is
relentless in the face of a challenge and Lilly finds herself besieged
by him. Can he get in her pants? Or will the unsuspecting man whore go a
step further and finally tear down her walls? Unlikely.

This is
no hearts and flowers love story, it is a battle of wills as a woman
who trusts no-one denies a man who has never been denied.

LP Lovell is an Indie Author from Salisbury,
England. She's known for her seriously laid back attitude, sick sense of humour
and a general lack of brain to mouth filter. Fuelled by copious amounts of Diet
Coke, she likes to create feisty female characters who bring men across the
pages to their knees. If she’s not writing then LP can be found riding her
horses, or walking her ever present writing companion; Tulula the dog.